Release
815-467-2140, ext. 179
Minooka Community High School Collecting Used Cellular Phones
(Minooka) – The Minooka Community High School Freshman Class is seeking community participation in a collection of used cellular phones as part of a fund raiser called Phoneraiser from now through April 30, 2007. The class will receive a monetary donation for each phone it collects during the collection drive. Last year, a similar drive resulted in a collection of over 50 phones.
According to a study by the environmental research group Inform, people in the US have a collective need to dispose of 130 million cell phones each year. “That’s about 65,000 tons of cell phones and ultimately they are thrown away,” says Joanna Underwood, spokesperson for Inform. Cell phones and laptops contain toxic materials such as arsenic, lead and zinc.
Electronics donated through the Phoneraiser Program, however, are given new life. Your used phones are desirable to people living in developing nations. Phoneraiser makes your unused technology available to those who can use it, while keeping it out of the landfill. Those items that cannot be resold are recycled for their component parts according to EPA standards.
“We’re very excited about this program”, says freshman class advisor, Arne Hendricksen. “This recycling program not only benefits the MCHS Class of 2010, but assists in preserving the environment and bringing communications to people who could not otherwise afford it.”
All cell phones are accepted. Donations can be delivered to Minooka Community High School, which is located at 301 South Wabena Avenue in Minooka.
For more information, please contact Arne Hendricksen at 467-2140, ext. 259.